This was embarrassing.
Back when I was a lad of just 19, I had a red-faced experience.
Actually, I had a lot of red-faced experiences when I was 19. I guess we all did. This one was a bit like a scene from an old Seinfeld episode.
It happened in Italy, near Rome. I dropped into a camera shop to get some photos developed. (It was back in the 80s, when you had to go back and collect printed photos a few days later.)
The guy in the shop asks for my last name.
“Santamaria,” I said.
He looks at me blankly.
“Santamaria,” I say again.
“Come?” (What)
“Santamaria!”
Then I say in my broken Italian, “like this town.”
Por fin, (finally) he understood.
AHHHH SAHN TAH MAH REE AH
You see, the town was called Santamaria Delle Mole.
Even though I shared my name with the town, my Italian pronunciation was so bad he couldn’t understand me even when I said my name.
That’s embarrassing.
That was my last big pronunciation blunder.
I am thankful I never have this big of a blunder with my Spanish.
You see, once you know the 7 main differences between Spanish and English you’re well on the way to being understood.
Spanish rules are consistent and predictable, unlike English. Once you know them you can say what you want to say and be understood by native Spanish speakers.
This free video pronunciation course will show you how to master those differences and speak a bunch of Spanish along the way.
Click here to for the complete Shortcut to Spanish Video Course.
Click here to for the complete Shortcut to Spanish Video Course.
Click here to for the complete Shortcut to Spanish Video Course.
Hi Marcus,
I am a 68 year old Australian living in Guadalajara, Mexico, along with my wife, for two years now. We enjoy living in this country very much.
I have been enjoying your Spanish courses, namely “Shortcut to Spanish” and “Synergy Spanish “. I have been helped along by your 26 audio video course, too. My Spanish is improving slowly, as it is difficult for an old brain to learn a new language.
I still have trouble knowing when to use the “a” when referring to people though. Sometimes I use it correctly, and other times I use it when I shouldn´t. I suppose I will get it eventually.
Do you have any other audio video course ? They help a lot with pronunciation .
Regards….Merrick Bunney
G’day mate,
Please log in to your member’s area. It has been upgraded with some videos.
Saludos,
Marcus
very interesting
you are really improving your course, o why can’t i just join you right awa mis amigo,
gracias para el gratis videos. eis my financial problems☺
Dios Bendiga♥: Moses (South Africa)
Thank you sooo much for the regular emails with short lessons that are not intimidating.
I appreciate all the work you must do to keep sending them.
Lessons were very helpful. They refeshed my my memory of Spanish lessons that I had taken a few years ago.
I have enjoyed your lessons and find them very helpful. I have taken some Spanish classes so your videos help me to remember what I have learned so far. Gracias . Adios
really enjoy and understand your teaching method, I am doing a Spanish course at school and find it difficult
Thanks Marcus,es fantastico.
I ENJOY LEARNING A FEW WORDS OF SPANISH FROM YOUR FREE COURSES. I LIKE THE WAY YOU TEACH. I WILL SUBSCRIBE LATER ON. PLEASE TELL ME WHETHER I CAN PAY YOU BY CHECK AND NOT ON LINE BECAUSE I HAVE FEAR OF THE INSECURITY ON THE WEB.THANK YOU.
didn’t know learning Spanish could be so fácil, gracias
Thank you,I find your videos great , my progress is much better than on previous attempts
Thank you…
I love the simple way you teach the subject matter. Very easy to learn and make the learning fun.
Good job.
Michele
Que bueno! Muchas gracias, Marcos. This is a great way to learn. We will be signing up. Otra vez, gracias.
I have found your three audio tapes most helpfull. Would like to hear more so am saving up for Father Christmas to bring them!! I am attending spanish classes but the verbs are depressing me and this week was near to giving up. However I have promised to persevere till Christmas. Then review. Many thanks for your easy ways.
Hi Marcus
My wife and I are taking Spanish with a tutor twice a week BUT we always default to you course to get the full understanding. Thanks for helping us the most!
I really enjoyed making sentences with these Spanish/English lesson thank you for explaining this, your information was appreciated. Anderson
nice,the minute details are also covered in a well manner.
great website for beginners.
Hi
I like Ed have the same problem. I have taken your synergy course but when I ask a question and I get a reply I have no idea what the reply is, my brain seems to freeze. Can you help any ideas please? Really thought I would get by on my holiday but everything I have learnt on your synergy course seems to go out the window, brain lock down.
Thank you
Janice
Really good. Spanish made simple. Easy to follow. Thank you Marcus.
Gracias por la leccion corta. Creo que mi pronunciation es muy buena, pero esto ayuda
Please know the lessons on speaking spanish to be understood is wonderfull.
I will feel good about what I am saying and what I am thinking when I know it is being said right.
Thanks
Great stuff ,again,
thanks
Super! Bite sized pieces and good explanations. I have learned much using Synergy and the other opportunities from the site. Thanks.
Thanks Marcus. Although you covered similar to this way back in the course, its still good to get reminders and be brought up short on some things. I live in Andalucia, Southern Spain and Spanish here is very different. I now have some bad habits because generally, not only are the “h”es not pronounced, but neither are the “s”es and for example Hasta Luego turns into Aluego and Que tal turns into Que hay. Very confusing!
I love it… the on screen responses reinforce the words.. verbal, visual. Yes!!! Great clarity, more more
Very clear, very useful, excellente. Muchas gracias
Thanks, i always like to review very helpful Marcus you make it very easy to follow.
Excellent!! Had your synergy courses but is an excellent complement.
Great easy to follow steps , that allow you to say full sentences with pronunciation that enables locals to understand you . Thank you
Great thanks
A nice review of pronunciations. Helpful and appreciated.
Thanks again.
I, like Ed a few comments ago, have problems freezing when I try to understand what my Mexican friends are saying to me.
Any ideas on that?
Thank you so much for the newest lessons. You sent one email a week or so ago, but when I clicked it on, my computer deleted all the emails. I enjoy your course very much but I can’t seen to spend as much time on it as I would like. I was waiting for a bus one day and there were two Spanish speaking ladies there. They spoke so fast I was only able to pick out some of the words.
thanks for these super-clear and simple pronunciation lessons!
As always, very useful.
hi Marcus i purchased your shortcut to spanish video lessons and the prompt cards some months ago and i have to say it has helped me so much, you see after many courses over the last ten years i hadn’t made much progress but your course has proved to be my saviour thanks a million
Hi Marcus I really think your course very helpfull but I would loved if you can teach the Spanish to french speaking
That sorted so many problems which I had, thank you so much, its just getting my english tongue to work the way it needs to.
Hi Marcus. I wonder how can I help you promoting your courses?. I live in Spain and speak Spanish but it is always good for me to revisit the basics. I have enjoyed these videos and I know how much work you have put into making them. We have lots of English speakers living here who would benefit from these videos. Please contact me if you’d like me to put something on my website. Best wishes. Vince Tracys
Thank you Marcus for the courses and top ups – Like the last comment, I am making progress, helped very much by your initial course – but understanding the response from spanish and latino friends, that is something else – all I say then is mas despacio por favor..
Thanks Marcus. Great stuff. Bien hecho. My main problem is hearing it. I know heaps of Spanish but when Latinos talk back I freeze and can’t understand it.
Thank you so much for that lesson, so very helpful to me. I wish there were more teachers like you, conversational Spanish is what I want to learn.
Marcus, I believe that you have developed the best and most practical approach to Spanish. I will be purchasing your 24 class course in the near future. I want to thank you for your process and I wish you a lot of success.
Thank you for all of the information helping me to speak spanish. I notice that your course is mainly South American Spanish. Do you adapt it for Castiliano? As I live in Spain it will cause red face if I use the wrong words!!
Thanks for all the info
Regards
A.Wright
The bottom part of this blog post address the question you raise:
http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/blog/first-class-spanish-in-spain-or-latin-america/
I deeply appreciate your lessons in Spanish. I too have tried books and classes but in the end learned nothing. Your lessons have taught me so much. I lived in Spain for 15 years but because I was surrounded by English/ English speaking people I had difficulty learning Spanish. I only wish I had access to your way of teaching then.
Gracias.
Thank you very much Sir,
You are really great …